Duane Jarvis Passes
Singer/songwriter/guitarist Duane Jarvis, known to music fans as a sideman for artists like Lucinda Williams and John Prine, as well as for his own critically acclaimed album releases, died of colon cancer this morning in his Los Angeles apartment. He was 51. Jarvis, who was a well-known and much-loved figure on the Nashville music scene for many years, recorded five solo albums, and lived in Nashville until recently. During the ‘80s, he was a key player in the vibrant LA country scene that also included artists like Dwight Yoakam, Williams, Buddy Miller, Rosie Flores, The Blasters and Jim Lauderdale. He released his first solo album, Front Porch, in 1994, the same year he moved to Nashville. Jarvis played guitar on recordings by Flores, Williams, Prine, Yoakam, Frank Black, Amy Rigby, Giant Sand, Peter Case and many others. He toured with artists including Prine, Black and The Divinyls, and his songs were featured in movies including The Horse Whisperer and The Rookie. In 2007, Jarvis, a native Oregonian, was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.
Blue collar country singer Aaron Tippin has announced an innovative contest that promotes and expands on the trucking theme of his latest release, In Overdrive. In conjunction with mobile communications equipment merchandiser Barjan, CB Radio manufacturer Cobra, and Petro Truck Stops, Tippin has created a contest that recalls the days when CB radio was king. On Friday, April 17 at 7:30 PM/CT at the Petro truck stop in Kingston Springs, Tenn., Tippin will launch the Cobra Coast to Coast Contest with Aaron Tippin. He’ll send out a secret code to truckers to see how long it takes to send the message from coast to coast via CB radio. The first trucker to arrive and announce the secret pass code will receive the prize package which will include a Cobra CB Radio, a Cobra bluetooth wireless headset, and a special Aaron Tippin gift bag that includes CD, concert backstage passes, tee shirts, ball caps and more.
The Music City Tennis Invitational committee announced today (4/1), that the annual charity tennis tournament will be held on Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26 at Vanderbilt University’s Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Tennis Center. Arista artist Brad Paisley will serve as this year’s celebrity spokesperson for the tournament, with Fox 17 Tennessee Mornings co-host Kelly Sutton serving as celebrity host. The Music City Tennis Invitational is the only fundraiser that directly benefits the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Over the past 35 years, the fundraiser has raised over $1 million in charitable contributions. The Music City Tennis Invitational is the longest-running music-related charity tennis tournament in the country and was named the 2008 USTA Tennessee Charity Event of the Year.
“A scorcher”
Emmy-winning actor/comedian/writer Steve Martin will make his Grand Ole Opry debut May 30 with a performance from his first music album, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo. Martin’s longtime friend John McEuen, who produced the album, will appear on the show along with Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Stuart Duncan, Tim OBrien, and more. The artists will be performing select songs from The Crow, and Martin will sing his song “Late for School.” The Crow is currently available exclusively through Amazon.com and will be available at all music retailers later this year. “When Steve picks, fans will see how much it means to him to bring his music to the heart of country music,” McEuen said. “The audience will find out he’s a musician disguised as an actor.”